Trolley construction



Apr. 3. 1923. 4 1,450,885

J. F. HEALY TROLLEY CONSTRUCTION Filed May 25, 1921 Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

in a w re r" 1 TROLLEY CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 25, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, James F. HEALY, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and S tate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolley cars, and its object is to provide a trolley of novel construction, which is positive in action and eliminates the difiiculties usually found in the handling of the trolley.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the novel trolley as applied to the rear end of a car;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the mechanism at the base of the trolley;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the upper end of the trolley; and r Fig. 4 is a plan view of the showing in Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the rearvportion of a typical trolley car, 6 the overhead current wire, 7 the trolley pole, 8 the trolley wheel, and 9 the usual turntable at the base of the pole. The spring assembly associated wit-h the turntable, and serving to throw the trolley pole upwardly, is now done away with, the pres ent equivalent being a mechanism operated by compressed air.

On the turntable is mounted a cylinder 10, which is adapted to receive air under pressure from the brake-service storage tank of the car by way of a supply pipe 11 entering the cylinder 10 at 12, and provided with a rotary shut-off valve 13. At that end of the cylinder which is supplied with air as just stated is located a release valve 14 of the spring-seated poppet type; and alsoan automatic pressure-regulating valve 15 of any approved type, to maintain a predetermined pressure of air in that end of the cylinder which is under consideration. Due to the necessary motion of the turntable, 9, a swivel coupling 16 of suitable construction is interposed in the supply pipe 11 at the point of its junction with the turn-- table.

The lower part of the trolley pole .7 terminates in proximity to the aforesaid end of the cylinder, in the form of a fork 17, whose branches are pivoted in ears 18, up

Serial No. 472,494.

standing from the turntable to enable the pole to swing in a vertical plane. At the shoulders of the fork are pivoted, as shown at 19, the ends of two arms 20, which extend alongside the cylinder in the direction of its opposite end. The free ends of the arms 20 are connected across by a bar 21. WVithin the cylinder is a piston 22, whose operating rod 23 extends to meet the bar 21 in the form of a loose connection 24 at the middle of the bar.

The release valve 14 of the cylinder and the shut-off valve 13 of the air-supply pipe are controlled jointly by a rocker arm 25 fulcrumed in a bearing 26 carried by the cylinder. When the arm 25 is rocked it pushes the valve 1 1 open, and turns the valve 13 shut through a gear-sector-and-pinion arrangement 27. The valve 14: is therefore closed, and the valve 13 open, normally.

From the sector at 27 a cord or light cable 28 is led upwardly alongside the trolley ole 7 to a point near the upper extremity thereof. As shown in Fig. 3, the part that carries the trolley wheel 8 is made separate from the pole in the form of a rocker arm 29 positioned alongside the pole, and fulcrumed at 30 in the end of the same. The inner section of the arm is dropped somewhat to permit a leaf spring 31 to be interposed between it and the pole with a tendency to swing the section on the pole, the spring being secured with one end to the pole. The free end of the said section receives the upper end of the cord or cable 28, the latter being passed through suitable guides 32 and trained over a small pulley 33.

In operation, the pressure of the air supplied to the cylinder 10 serves, through the agency of the piston 22, rod 23, bar 21 and side arms 20, to draw the trolley pole upwardly so as to press the wheel against the wire for running service. This pressure renders the cord or cable 28 slack, so as to be without function. Now, should the trolley wheel become separated from the current wire on account of slippage, the breaking of the wire, or the striking of an obstruction in the same, the trolley would not swing up to and remain in a vertical position, as is usually the case with spring-actuated trolley poles, but would rise slightly and then dro to the roof of the car within handy reac This action would be due to the deflection of the rocker arm 29 on account of rope'34 for handy access by the conductor.

In case the pole is again to be raised, all

that is required is a slight pull on this rope,

which draws the wheel section back into ali'nement with the pole. This action restores the slack to the cord or cable 28, causing the supply valve of the cylinder to be openedand the release valve to shut. New

air under pressure being admitted, the piston will move outwardly bringing about the ascent of the trolley pole into service :position. a A structure is thus had which is simple, handy and automatic, and which does not require anyone to climb on top of the car to adjust the trolley in case the pull rope c isbroken, thus eliminating danger from electric shock. The electrical wiring ofthe The rock trolley has not been mentioned, as this is easily applicable by anyone skilled in the art.

I claim The. combination of a trolley pole having a pivoted section which carries the trolley wheel, a fluid-pressure cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a connection between the piston and the trolley pole, a valve for admitting fluid-pressure to the cylinder for moving the piston in a direction to elevate the trolley pole, a fluid-pressure exhaustfvalve, actuating means for the valves whereby the closure of one valve is accompanied by the opening of the other valve,-th e admission valve being normally open and the exhaust valve being normally closed, a spring engageable with the aforesaid pivoted section of the trolley-pole forfnormally holding, said section in alinement with the pole, and afiexible connection between said pivoted section and the aforesaid actuating means of the valves. r

In testimony whereoi I afhx my signature.

JAMES F. EAL 

